" Your choice of words is very important and very powerful, it is the difference between the Lightning Bug and the Lightning. " Mark Twain

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Have we lost our way?« Thread started on: Aug 3rd, 2017, 10:00am »

As of this moment there are 13 guests and 2 members signed on. Myself being one of the members. The stats report that one new member has signed up. The stats also show over 19000 members total. I seem to recall a higher number one point, but that may be just me. However there are a few things I would like us to discuss with one being the number of posts pertaining to our stated purpose, and another being participation and new members. It doesn't take much to see that a half dozen people make most of the posts to this board, and most of these posts are to off topic threads. It is also easy to see that the name of the board attracts visitors but very few decide to stay and participate. It was not always this way. Not long ago this board was a lively place with some really good discussions going on in the sections. So what happened ? Why is it so quiet now ? I know some of the livelier discussions turned hot and had to be quashed, but why have the posts dropped off so much ? We still attract a decent number of new visitors but why don't they and the thousands of other members take part ? Why do they just look around and leave ? Is it just a lack of interesting topics ? A lack of active discussion or give and take ? Why is it so quiet ? And most importantly is there anything we can do about it ?

Logged

"Two people CAN keep a secret, provided one of them is dead." B. Franklin

Excellent topic! Well said, Skizicks! This, hopefully, will be a long and interesting thread!

I am one of the guilty ones. It is a sad thing to see all of the off topic posts. What's to blame? Frustration, ennui, distraction, politics, world trials and tribulations; these are some words that come to mind.

One only has to look at the Mutual UFO Network to see that the UFO (or UAP) genre is in shambles.

Obviously we don't know what negative impacts government organizations may be having on the UFO playing field. However, we DO know that human greed and egotism are having an impact.

How many books have been written full of questionable material because someone wants to make some money? How many event accounts have been "embroidered" because someone wants to get paid for making a speech?

Don't get me wrong; it is right and necessary for people who dedicate their lives to the subject of unknowns to be able to subsist. The problem is that it becomes a temptation for people to embellish.

I don't have an answer. It is very discouraging to look at all of the active organizations that have come and gone; to see all the websites that flourished for awhile then died.

Excellent topic! Well said, Skizicks! This, hopefully, will be a long and interesting thread!

I am one of the guilty ones. It is a sad thing to see all of the off topic posts. What's to blame? Frustration, ennui, distraction, politics, world trials and tribulations; these are some words that come to mind.

One only has to look at the Mutual UFO Network to see that the UFO (or UAP) genre is in shambles.

Obviously we don't know what negative impacts government organizations may be having on the UFO playing field. However, we DO know that human greed and egotism are having an impact.

How many books have been written full of questionable material because someone wants to make some money? How many event accounts have been "embroidered" because someone wants to get paid for making a speech?

Don't get me wrong; it is right and necessary for people who dedicate their lives to the subject of unknowns to be able to subsist. The problem is that it becomes a temptation for people to embellish.

I don't have an answer. It is very discouraging to look at all of the active organizations that have come and gone; to see all the websites that flourished for awhile then died.

We are playing right into the naysayers hands.

Phillip Klass would be so proud!

Swamprat

Well put Swampy,I used to wake up early just to haveTIMEto post before I went "outside" to dowhat I do for, the "BANK NOTE"but I never asked for or thought I should "get" onefor it, I don't feel the same way any more, I'm not as old as you, but at 58 and still working outside asowner operator of my own "stuff" it is not going to last forever,today it was like breathing soup, on top of that I'm hurting with physical issues, so the last thing I want to see when I come to my favorite webb site, is what you said, cos I know whoI AM,part of this universe, as all of you are also, we all are different but all made of the same "stuff" andit is my opinion, we have been taught not to understand how spooky our distant past is of the utmost power.

As of this moment there are 13 guests and 2 members signed on. Myself being one of the members. The stats report that one new member has signed up. The stats also show over 19000 members total. I seem to recall a higher number one point, but that may be just me. However there are a few things I would like us to discuss with one being the number of posts pertaining to our stated purpose, and another being participation and new members. It doesn't take much to see that a half dozen people make most of the posts to this board, and most of these posts are to off topic threads. It is also easy to see that the name of the board attracts visitors but very few decide to stay and participate. It was not always this way. Not long ago this board was a lively place with some really good discussions going on in the sections. So what happened ? Why is it so quiet now ? I know some of the livelier discussions turned hot and had to be quashed, but why have the posts dropped off so much ? We still attract a decent number of new visitors but why don't they and the thousands of other members take part ? Why do they just look around and leave ? Is it just a lack of interesting topics ? A lack of active discussion or give and take ? Why is it so quiet ? And most importantly is there anything we can do about it ?

Good to hear from you, Skizicks and interesting question. I'll just answer what's on my mind. First, personally I'm not worried about (highly varying) numbers or readers/participants at any given day. UFO Casebook isn't the Church of UFO, depending on sufficient 'worshippers' in attendance to keep the faith alive. Instead I model the phenomenon obversely, as sumtin unimaginably weird in our skies getting observed since the 1940's in the US, as well as everywhere else, indicating conceivably mysterious Others present throughout human time.

Haha.... if UFOs are real and true they are engaged in our human world, and no subject humans deal with can be "off topic" (as long as you post it in the designated forum), can it?

Casebook is a symptom, a late effect, one of many of (yet to be defined) Aliens entering our consciousness. Some less desirable effects MAY BE self-destructive Contact Cults, plus the seemingly large group of disordered folks who use the UFO experience as fertile ground for growing pathological internet identities, as well as the distorting engagement of government agencies.

That said, UFO Casebook seems fairly sane (apologies to all the logged in compulsive trolls, ultimate truth disclosers and earthdwelling ETs who felt stunted in their growth while inside our forums !) discounting myself naturally. The forums are open to debate, as well as serving as record of many passionate/informative debates in years past. If someone wants to know stuff about aliens, UFOs or abduction experience all that's a Search away. Then there's B J Booth's main site, the real casebook library, where the truly curious like myself will be attracted to first! Anyone interested in reading UFO reports can go in there and weigh the eyewitness evidence at length.

My point is, WE ARE STILL HERE. If the secret managers hoped to eradicate the UFO story, they lost and we won. I guess truth be told it's a stand off. They (whoever 'they' are ) were successful in preventing the world population from realizing alien visitors have engaged humanity, coupled with massive societal and economic destabilization this might have entailed during the 2nd half of the previous century. But they had to make allowances for an evolving and well informed UFO community rejecting the wool getting pulled over their eyes, as well as a majority of people who by today believe we are not alone in the Universe.

Ski: if you allow me I will disagree, IMHO we're very much on course...

Some people just don't want to admit that E.T. alien races {that occasionally visit our planet} are far superior {technology wise} to us.

On the other hand...there's been a big religious movement going on --- especially from the Christian Evangelical crowd --- {for example: Coast To Coast, with George Noory hosting these Christian Evangelicals with the likes of Jacque Vallee seemingly supporting them}, out to demonize Ufology; so as to support their racist religious dogma.

I feel perhaps something could be done! A section on the forum withthe heading UFO HELP DESK. With a sub-heading. New Reports., another sub-heading Old Reports. In the new reports, staff could follow and update poster with other reports in near area. Data always happening,I would be willing to help with that. Old reports could be checked also, as long as the date is accurate

You've been pushing this approach for months if not years. when are you going to present some evidence ?

HAL INT21

I already have...that's if you're prone to believe me --- What with my 1972 E.T. alien pictures at Calvert Cliffs, Maryland, my 1978 photograph of a foo fighter landing zone in Pennsylvania, including my fireball thread on this forum.

I can show my alien pictures to certain people, but some refuse to say it's so --- Though it might be because it's so far-out from the reality of there mindset, that it's beyond there ability to comprehend such mind-blowing images.

I've never read a UFO book in my life. I've read loads on the topic though.

Maybe catholic folks have caught up with the history of the Catholic Church due to its availability on the web, they certainly dont get the truth through their education system or their church. Or even want to go to confession, just in case they are talking to a paedophile. Their Church has been marred for the time being.

On the other hand the folks, the multitudes, are still around, just waiting for the next biggest buzz, be it a Serpo, a Drone or a Whitehouse, Davos, or World Leader Meeting of sorts where UFO show up on live stream video, with world press ready to capture it, it's all very well appearing in Bonnybridge, a small village, or in Stevensville, Texas, or Phoenix, Arizona,or Forest Park, Illinois, to name but a few.

" Your choice of words is very important and very powerful, it is the difference between the Lightning Bug and the Lightning. " Mark Twain

Gender:
Posts: 2505

Re: Have we lost our way?« Reply #14 on: Aug 10th, 2017, 07:17am »

Based on our visitors count the interest is still there. But when they visit and look around do they find what they are looking for? What were you looking for when you dropped in that first time? Was it a discussion on music? A place to swap opinions on politics? Or pollution? This is a site for the discussion of UFO's and there was a time when we had deep discussions on things like photographs and sightings. We would attempt to analyze pictures and videos and have fairly intelligent discussions on various sightings that were reported. Now it seems that some lay in wait for a post to attack and take pride in running members off rather than challenge the issue on the facts and evidence. To survive this site needs visitors and the name alone brings in many. But without participation in the forums there is no information for the visitor to gain. The site has great posts in the archives but who ever digs that deep into a site you are just "checking out"? Can we do anything to bring back the fire and excitement we once had or is this a sign of a loss of interest world wide?

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"Two people CAN keep a secret, provided one of them is dead." B. Franklin